GOVERNMENT OF MIZORAM ACHIEVEMENT REPORTS ON BAMBOO FLOWERING & FAMINE COMBAT SCHEME (BAFFACOS) DURING 2004 – 05 & 2005 – 06 PLANNING & PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION DEPARTMENT GOVERNMENT OF MIZORAM C O N T E N T S Sl. No. Page No. Introduction ...................................................................................... (i) Sectoral Outlays for Baffacos - Mizoram.................................(ii) 1. AGRICULTURE ..........................................................................................................1 2. HORTICULTURE .................................................................................................... 13 3. SOIL & WATER CONSERVATION....................................................................... 16 4. A.H. & VETERINARY............................................................................................. 23 5. FISHERIES................................................................................................................ 27 6. ENVIRONMENTS & FORESTS.............................................................................. 40 7. LAND REFORMS..................................................................................................... 43 8. RURAL DEVELOPMENT........................................................................................ 51 9. INDUSTRIES............................................................................................................ 54 10. SERICULTURE......................................................................................................... 63 11. FOOD, CIVIL SUPPLIES & CONSUMER AFFAIRS............................................. 64 12. HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE ............................................................................ 65 13. INFORMATION & PUBLIC RELATIONS............................................................. 75 14. PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT .......................................................................... 76 15. LOCAL ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT...................................................... 77 (i) INTRODUCTION As experienced in the past 50 years, a sporadic flowering of bamboo (Melaconna baccifera and dendrocalamus hamiltonii) has been observed in Mizoram in all the bamboo growing areas during the past two years. Increased rodents populations or the sporadic flowering area were not observed. Government of India sanctioned Rs. 20.00 crore and Rs. 30.00 crore under one-time ACA for implementation of Bamboo Flowering & Famine Combat Scheme (BAFFACOS) during Annual Plan 2004-05 and 2005-06 respectively. In order to tackle and mitigate the untold miseries, severe famine and plague caused by gregarious bamboo flowering, a comprehensive action plan for a period of 5 years (2004-09) was launched covering 13 different Departments at an initial year. Another 2 more Departments, i.e. Public Works Department (Roads & Bridges) and Local Administration Department were added during Annual Plan 2005-06 as per recommendation of Twelfth Finance Commission and special priority scheme of State Government. Brief achievement report on the implementation of BAFFACOS by various Departments for the year 2004-05 and 2005-06 is compiled for official use and reference. (ii) SECTORAL OUTLAYS FOR BAFFACOS - MIZORAM (Rupees in lakh) Annual Plans Sl. Name of Implementing 2004 – 05 2005 – 06 2006 – 07 No. Department Approved Approved Revised Approved Expdr. Expdr. Outlay Outlay Outlay Outlay 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1. Agriculture 200.00 200.00 300.00 240.00 240.00 200.00 2. Horticulture 260.00 260.00 300.00 310.00 310.00 400.00 3. Soil & Water Conservation 80.00 80.00 110.00 88.00 88.00 110.00 4. Animal Husbandry & Veterinary 220.00 220.00 330.00 264.00 264.00 200.00 5. Fisheries 100.00 100.00 150.00 120.00 120.00 115.00 6. Environment & Forests 200.00 200.00 330.00 314.00 314.00 225.00 7. Land Revenue & Settlement 150.00 150.00 200.00 160.00 160.00 115.00 8. Rural Development 110.00 110.00 160.00 178.00 178.00 115.00 9. Industries 365.00 365.00 515.00 1,042.00 1,042.00 365.00 10. Sericulture 75.00 75.00 125.00 100.00 100.00 115.00 11. Food & Civil Supplies 90.00 90.00 260.00 228.00 228.00 260.00 12. Health & Family Welfare 100.00 100.00 150.00 120.00 120.00 115.00 13. Information & Public Relations 50.00 50.00 70.00 56.00 56.00 70.00 14. Public Works Department - - - 730.00 500.00 595.00 15. Local Administration Department - - - 50.00 50.00 - TOTAL 2,000.00 2,000.00 3,000.00 4,000.00 3,770.00 3,000.00 - 1 - AGRICULTURE AGRICULTURE STATUS OF RODENT POPULATION EXPLOSION vis-à-vis BAMBOO FLOWERING IN MIZORAM (April, 2006) -------- Bamboo represents one of the largest vegetations in Mizoram and it plays a dominant feature of the State’s landscape. The bamboo brakes cover about 6,446 sq.km (31%) of the total geographical area of 21,081 sq.kms. of the State. The bamboo brakes are entirely of secondary origin due to clear felling of primary forests for jhum cultivation. There are more than 20 species of bamboo, covering 9 genera, occurring in the State, Melocanna baccifera (= M. bamcusoides) contributing about 95% of the growing stock of bamboo, while other important species are – Dendrocalamus hamiltanii, D.longispathus, Bambusa tulda, B - longispiculata, B. khasiana, calamus spp., Arundinaria callosa, etc. Gregarious flowering of bamboo is experienced in Mizoram at a periodic interval of 48 (+ 1) years. The earliest record was flowering of Bambusa tulda in the year 1881, which recurred in the years 1928 and 1976 – 1977. A similar cycle was also observed on Melocanna baccifera. The flowering in the year 1911 was the foremost and clearly known on record by the Mizo people. This was followed by 1958 – 1959 and again expected on 2006 and 2007. The gap between the two cycles was found to be almost regular, which is mysteriously 30 years from Thingtam to Mautam, and 18 year from Mautam to Thingtam. Based upon the Guidelines received from the Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC) of Ministry of Agriculture, Government of India, in anticipation to the coming Mautam 2007, the State Level Committee on Rodent Control, Government of Mizoram undertook to include the following components to combat the coming expected rodent outbreaks as follows: - 1. Survey of bamboo flowering area 2. Survey of rodent incidences and their population 3. Publicity, awareness campaign and training 4. Eradication by local rattraps 5. Purchase of rodenticides and free distribution to the needy farmers. A. SURVEY OF BAMBOO FLOWERING AREAS: A.1 Sporadic Bamboo flowering: Observations during the survey of bamboo flowering areas were as follows: Species of flowering Bamboo Flowering intensity Month(s) of occurrence Melocanna vaccifera Sporadic a) July, 2001 b) February – July, 2002 (Mautak) c) March – July 2003 d) March – July 2004 e) February – July 2005 f) February onwards 2006 - 2 - AGRICULTURE Dendrocalamus hamiltonii Sporadic a) October – Dec. 2001 (Phulrua) b) June 2002 c) March, 2003 d) March 2004 e) February – April 2005 f) February onwards 2006 A sporadic flowering of Melocanna baccifera was observed from the month of February and last till July, with a peak of flowering and fruiting during the months of June and July. A.2 Year – wise observation of sporadic flowering of Meloccana baccifera:- (a) 2001 - 3 locations (b) 2002 - 33 locations (c) 2003 - 25 locations (d) 2004 - in almost all the bamboo growing area (e) 2005 - in all the bamboo growing areas A.3 Rodent activities in the sporadic flowering areas:- Increased rodents populations on the sporadic flowering areas were not observed. A.4 Gregarious flowering of Melocanna baccifera:- During the month of January to July, 2005, a gregarious flowering of Melocanna baccifera was observed at Mamit District in the western part of Mizoram, covering an estimated area of 500 hectares. By the year 2006, a gregarious flowering is roughly estimated to cover about 1/4th of the bamboo growing areas in Mizoram. Some of the identified areas where Melocanna baccifera is currently flowering were as given follows: - Sl. No. Location (Village) District Month(s) of occurrence 1. Mamit Mamit January – July 2005 2. Khawhai to Saitual Champhai January, 2006 onwards 3. Baktawng to Chhingchhip Serchhip -do- 4. Bilkhawthlir Kolasib -do- 5. Paikhai Aizawl -do- 6. Estern Parts of Kolasib Kolasib -do- 7. Bawngva and Darlak Mamit -do- 8. Dawn to Haulawng Lunglei -do- 9. Serkhan to Bukpui Kolasib -do- In the flowering area, a gregarious flowering of Dendrocalamus hamiltonii was also observed simultaneously. However, an unusual activity of rodents is not observed in those areas. - 3 - AGRICULTURE B. SURVEY OF RODENT INCIDENCE AND THEIR POPULATION: B.1 During the year 2004 – 05: Survey of rodent incidence and their population, covering all the Agricultural districts in the State, was done twice (2) during 2004 – 05. During the surveying period, the intensities of rodent incidence and their population were observed as below Economic Threshold Level (i.e. below 15 live burrows per hectare). The villages where rodent incidence was reported were as follows. Sl. No. Village Village 1. Tlangpui 26. S.Chawilung 2. Tlangpuite 27. Khawhri 3. Parva 28. Hruiduk 4. Chite 29. Saichal 5. Saiphai 30. Khanpui 6. Thinglian 31. E.Phaileng 7. Lshaicherra 32. Khamrang 8. Palsang 33. Tlangkhang 9. Lungsum 34. Zamuang 10. Khawlian 35. Khawlian 11. Pawlrang 36. Aithur 12. W.Serzawl 37. Mimbung 13. Thaidawr 38. W.Lungdar 14. W.Lungdar 39. Khawrihnim 15. Khawrihmin 40. Chuhvel 16. Tuikawi 41. Darlak 17. Thangte 42. Serhmun 18. Thingfal